Friction draft-rigging appliance.



Patehted Apr. 22, i902. T. LxMcKl-ZEN.

FRICTION DRAFT RIGGING APPLIANGE,

Application filed Feb. 6, 1902.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet No.98,215. v Patented Apr. 22, I902.

T. L. MGKEEN. FBICTION DBAFTRIGGING APPLIANCE.

(Application flledFeh. 6,1903.) (Na Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

1 u; i v i': F [I A R w k UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS L. MOKEEN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FRICTION DRAFT-RIGGING APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,215, dated Apri122,1902.

Application filed February 6, 1902- Serial No. 92 820 (No model.)

T allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MOKEEN', a citizen of the United States,residing at Easton, in? the county of Northampton and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFriction Draft- Rigging Appliances; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and moths. same.

Myinvention relates to'ce'rtain new and usefu'l improvements indraft-rigging for railroad-cars,and particularly'to that class known asfriction draft-rigging. It has for its object simplicity and economy ofconstruction, durability of use, and the ready assembly ordisassociation of its several parts...

With these ends in viewiny invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter and in detail explained. a

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay know. how to makemy improved 1 draft-rigging and fully understandits operation, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by lettersto the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a horizontaljcentral section taken on the liner to of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of a modified form of one of the boxes for containingthe friction-springs. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section taken onthe line y y of Fig.- 1, and Fig. 4 is a trans- Verse section taken onthe line a z of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

A Aare the ordinary draft-timbers of mailroad-car, to which are securedthe housings or check-plates B, which are formed with verticalfollowerstops or shoulders C at each end and with two follower-stops DDadjacent to the rear end followers 0, as clearly shown at Fig. 1.

E is an end follower located at the forward end and betweenthe housingsB B, and F is an end follower located in a similar manner at the rearend. This rear follower E is formed with anintegral central stem G,which .is' secured by a suitable bolt or pin H to a wedge-shaped blockor head I, as clearly shown at Figs. 1 and 3.

J J are open-ended and open-top boxes adapted to receive. a series ofspring plates or leaves; K,: the ends of which 1 abut,respectively,'against the forward endfollower E and intermediate orcentral followers L, as shown at Fig.1.

Before passing the arrow-head and stem through the intermediate followercoiled buifing-springs M N are secured in position around the stem G, sothat when the intermediate follower is placedin position the springs M Nwill, as clearly shown, be confined between said follower and'therear-end follower F.

The adjacent vertical walls of the springboxes J J are tapered and cutaway, as clearly shown at Fig. 1, to conform to the design of thearrow-head I. The spring-boxes JJ'and end followers aresupportedvertically upon suitable carry-bars O O, secured to thehousingsby bolts P P or in anyv other desired manner. 1

Q is the shank of the draw-bar, which abuts against the forward-endfollower E, and R is the yoke, which is secured in the usual or anydesiredway to the-shank Q. In lieu of making the boxes J with both endsopen, as shown in Fig. 1, and employing the intermediate followers Lsaid boxes may be formed with the rear ends closed, asjshown at S, Fig.

2, said1ends constituting intermediate followers and operating insubstantially the same manner as the intermediate and separablefollowers L. I

T isa tubular roller surrounding a horizontal cross-bolt U, which issecured in position to vertical lugs-V, extending from the housings B,as clearly. shown at-Fig. 3. The tubular rollerT constitutes a supportfor the carry-bars and also serves as a brace or bridge between thevertical lugs V to prevent the housings from moving outwardly or towardeach other. As will be clearly understood, the vertical follower-stops DD of the housings are so disposed and located with reference to thelongitudinal movement of the end follower F and intermediate followers L(or closed ends S of the spring-boxesJ) as to prevent the setting of thecoiled springs M N.

Having described the constructiomof my improved draft-rigging, I willnow describe the operation.

With the parts all properly assembled and in normal position, asillustrated at Fig. 1, if a buffing strain is exerted the forward-endfollower E is forced rearward, and by reason of the location of thespring-plates K between the same and the intermediate followers L andthe location of the spring-boxes J the intermediate followers L L (orclosed ends S of the boxes J, as the case maybe) are forced against thecoil-springs M N, which are accordingly compressed between such followerand the rear-end follower F, which is held against movement by the endfollower-stops O 0. During this movement the inclined portion of theadjacent vertical walls of the spring-boxes J J ride upon thecorrespondingly-inclined surfaces of the wedge block or head I, whichcauses the said boxes to travel laterally or away from each other andagainst the spring-plates K, and thus not only offering a springresistance to the rearward movement of the draw-bar, but at the sametime producing increasing frictional contact between the wedge-block andthe spring-boxes, as well as between the spring-plates and the insidefaces of the housings B. Simultaneously with this described action thecoilsprings M N are compressed between the intermediate followers andthe rear end follower F, thus offering additional spring resistanceduring the pulling strain do not move longitudinally, but are heldagainst such action by the forward-end follower E and vertical stops 0,the frictional action between the spring plates K and inside faces ofthe housings, as above described, does not take place and onlysuchfriction results as ensues from the movements of the several plates uponone another and the wedge block against the spring'boxes during thelateral compressive action. It will be seen from the construction andoperation described that the spring-plates K constitute at all times asubstantial brace between the forward-end follower E and theintermediate followers L L, (or closed ends S of the boxes J,) so thatsubstantially the entire area thereof is supported and braced and thetendency of the movable parts to wabble or bite is avoided, and henceundue and excessive wear does nottake place. The closed bottom of theboxes J constitute shelves, upon which the spring-plates K are supportedand held during the assembling of the parts and at all other times. Asclearly shown in the drawings, the end followers E F, stem G, andwedge-block I are cast hollow to secure the necessary degree oftightness without sacrificing strength.

Various changes may be made in the mere details and designs of theseveral parts-such,

for instance, as the substitution of coiled springs for thespring-platewithout departing from the spirit of my invention, whichresides in the generic idea of thelateral platesprings to producefriction and to increase the area of support or bracing of the forwardand intermediate followers and axially-arranged springs to cooperatewith the friction plate-springs in receiving buffing and pulling strainsand means within the several springplates and axially-arranged springsfor holding the same in position and compressing the same, ashereinbefore explained.

Having described the construction and operation of my improveddraft-rigging, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In combination with the housings secured to the draft-timbers, andend and intermediate followers located therein, laterallycompressiblespring-plates, adapted to move bodily in a longitudinal direction, meansfor compressing said spring-plates and causing frictional contact withthe housings, and springs interposed between the intermediate and therear-end follower, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the housings secured to the draft-timbers, endand intermediate followers located therein, and laterallycompressibleand longitudinally-movable spring-plates, means for compressing thelaterally-located spriug plates,axially-arranged coil-springs betweenthe intermediate follower, and the rear-end follower, and means formoving the end followers, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In combination with the housings sccured to the draft-timbers and endand intermediate followers located therein, laterallycompressiblespring-plates mounted in closed bottomed lateral] y-movablesupporting-boxes having their adjacent vertical faces beveledrearwardly, carry-bars secured to the housings and supporting the boxes,and a longitudinally-movable push-bar formed with a beveled forwardterminal for spreading the boxes, and means for reciprocating thepushbar, and spring-supporting boxes, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a draft-rigging such as described and provided withlaterally-compressible spring plates supported in movable boxes, andlongitudinally-compressible coil-springs; a forward-end movablepartition or follower, and followers intermediate of the spring-platesand coil-springs, a rear-end follower having a central stem forsupporting the coil-springs, and having its forward terminal adapted tospread apart the spring plate supporting boxes, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

5. In a draft-rigging such as described, the laterally andlongitudinally movable springplate-supporting boxes, open on oneend, topand on one side, and having the rear end closed to constitute anintermediate follower, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a draft-rigging such as described and embodyinglongitudinally-movable end followers, and intermediate follower andlaterally-movable spring-supporting boxes between the forwardendfollower, and the intermediate follower, flat spring-plates locatedwithin the supporting-boxes and having their ends abutting respectivelyagainst the said followers, and constituting braces between saidfollowers, and coil-springs between the rear-end follower and theintermediate follower, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a draft-rigging such as described, the rear-end follower F formedwith an axial stem G, and separable wedge-block I, connected by aremovable bolt or pin H, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN;

Witnesses a H. D. MAXWELL, J. WHIT. W001).

